...Confederate pickets covering this causeway, all escape from Savannah must have been cut off. General Sherman saw his mistake too late, and, in his letter of December 24th, 1864, he excuses himself to Halleck : I feel somewhat disappointed at Hardee's escape, but really am not to blame. I moved as quickly as possible to close up the Union cause-way, but intervening obstacles were such that, before I coul...